Lynn Belvedere

THE BIG MEAL @ The Depot Theatre

 

Your lifetime expectations during seventy years, so how do think things will go during the rush from birth to death? THE BIG MEAL delightfully shows how things will happen, for this American family over many generations, the almost-normal family from hell who feed each new generation’s children on a steady diet of just too much red cordial.

Childhood sibling rivalry insults, love/hate and ultimately resilience, blended with both comedy and drama, as seen in the same restaurant starting from birth to death. The American icon of fried fast junk food the “corn-dog” takes a well deserved beating, however the truthful description of its manufacture, means that forever, you will never ever eat the Australian version that is called Dagwood Dog, Pluto Pup, or Dippy Dog.

The frequent changes of costume just work perfectly, because the ensemble cast of eight actors have multiple roles throughout and at different ages, sometimes younger and sometimes older, covering several generations of this family that grows from the initial random meeting of teenagers Nicole and Sam. Teenagers who are fully committed to not being committed. Soon you will learn the unique symbolism for each approaching sudden demise.            

Listen very carefully because some scenes have super-fast transitions, including an anniversary becomes breaking up. Cleverly a first date immediately becomes four separate first dates. The many technically difficult aspects of the play have been carefully and cleverly achieved by director Julie Baz. Overlapping dialogue, when talking all together, all at the same time, it is a delight as each actor’s voice is pitched at exactly the same volume, so every word spoken is easily heard and understood.

The restaurant set is very cleverly designed and very fluid, its brilliantly paced staging quickly becomes exactly what is needed to suit the mood of each scene/event unfolding on stage, and expertly lit, and always with matching music. The cast enjoys several bottomless cadillac margaritas, throughout the never-a-dull moment, fast 100 minutes with no interval. Very entertaining night of live theatre.

 

 

CAST: Cormac Costello, Emily Dreyer, Angus Evans, Suzann James, David Jeffrey, Tasha O’Brien, Brendan Paul, Kaitlyn Thor​

DIRECTOR Julie Baz
SET David Jeffrey
LIGHTING Mehran Mortezaei
SOUND Thomas E. Moore

Photography Katy Green Loughrey

THE BIG MEAL from 18th October until 4th November 2017.
8pm Wed-Sun and 5pm Sundays.
The Depot Theatre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville, with on-site free car parking.

 

http://thedepottheatre.com/the-big-meal
https://www.facebook.com/thedepottheatre/
https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=248092
https://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/venues/the-depot-theatre
https://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/events/the-big-meal-by-dan-lefranc
https://www.sydney.com/destinations/sydney/inner-sydney/marrickville/events/the-big-meal-dan-lefranc

 

 

 

Published by Lynn Belvedere

Once we were old enough, my parents took the whole family to the Sydney CBD cinemas every week. Thus began a lifetime interest, in going to the cinema every week, and became a passionate cinephile by watching all those very heavily edited ''Australian Film Censorship Board'' true cinéaste versions of brand new release ''Cinematograph Films''. Greater Union always gave my father (who worked in Cinema Distribution Exhibition) guest double movie passes, to every first-night ''red carpet Opening Night'' at The State Theatre Cinema at 49 Market Street. Up until his death, my dad always received ''two house seats'' for every Opening Night performance events at the Theatre Royal SYDNEY and at Her Majesty's Theatre SYDNEY. As a child, when mum choose not to go, I often went with him, to those live performance events. As a young child, I remember being taken for each new show, at both The New Theatre at 60 Sussex Street, and the Phillip Street Theatre when located at 150 Elizabeth Street, and for classical music concerts at Sydney Town Hall. = = = ★★★★★ = = = Being happy is a choice, and I have always viewed my life, as material ready be made into a series of amazing tentpole movies. My New Years Resolution is kept every year: ''Get to see/review five new live theatre shows each week, and get to see/review six new cinema movies each week'', plus is one of the Australian Cinema Pioneers, and apparently have seen far too much already, but always wanting to experience more and more each year. I am also able to do almost everything that I enjoy doing. Yes, I do have a great daytime job in I.T. as ''Software Design Project Manager'', PLUS each evening until quite late - - - Australian Cinematograph Films historical censorship consultant - product-placement consultant - mystery-shopper consultant - playwright, writer, author, director, producer, photographer, cinematographer, color-grader, subtitles proofreader - arts/ drama/ music/ film critic and judge, journalist, member FIPRESCI & FCCA & AFCA, member AACTA accredited film reviewer-critic-writer, accredited IMDB.COM critic-reviewer-author, projectionist, plus an innovative iconoclast - - - ★★★★★ LYNN BELVEDERE ★★★★★ - - - [usr 5] - - -